I recently listened to this podcast where Dr. Berger is interviewed about his opposition to Chabad.
I am generally biased towards Chabad because of the great reverence I have for the Rebbe [whose yahrtzeit is this Shabbos זיע"א] and because of the UNBELIEVABLE mesirus nefesh of the shluchim all over the world who do so much good.
But I think that despite the interviewer's obvious bias in favor of Chabad and fury towards Dr. Berger [it got really heated at times] for casting aspersions on the Rebbe זצ"ל זי"ע and Chasidim - Dr. Berger has valid points.
The interviewer compared Chabad hechsherim to YU hechsherim [if there was such a thing]. In YU there are homosexuals and those who are sympathetic to such a lifestyle, so does that disqualify anything that comes from YU? So why should we question all Chabad because of a few crazies who daven to the Rebbe? ["Elokistim"]
The answer is that the RABBINIC establishment in YU is obviously firmly opposed to homosexual behavior and lifestyle and they are the ones giving the hechsher, so there is no cause for concern. In Chabad - you really don't know even about the mainstream. It seems to me - and this is just me, maybe I am wrong - but the Rebbe is far more central to their avoda than in any other Chasidus. Example: At the beginning of some of their sfarim they write that this sefer should give nachas ruach to the Rebbe. What about HKB"H?? It is so often the Rebbe this the Rebbe that. The Rebbe should be the MEANS to getting closer to Hashem and not the end. I am much more comfortable when the focus of one's avodah is Hashem and not a flesh and blood. I am not the first to make this point. That does not diminish the importance of a Rebbe "ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו", but everything in the proper amount and context. [I personally have spent countless hours at the tischen and shiurim of a Chasidishe Rebbe and learn from many others. I am not opposed. On the contrary...].
Other issues: The Rambam [who has been accepted by Klal Yisrael as the final word on these matters] paskened in Hilchos Melachim that if someone died he is not משיח. I think that the consensus in Chabad is that the Rebbe IS משיח. Maybe I am wrong but an old friend who is a shaliach of the Rebbe in Florida told me that. Ask your local Chabad shaliach - did the Rebbe die and is he Moshiach? If he gives you a straight "yes and no" I would be surprised.
Historically, when people believed in משיחים who weren't really משיח it caused tremendous harm to countless individuals and the Jewish people as a whole. In this case the damage has been relatively minor but it is a dangerous phenomenon. Rav Shach wasn't bored. He came out against Chabad for good reasons. He was terrified by the damage caused by false Messiahs. Rav Aharon Kotler and some other Gedolei Torah were also strongly opposed ואכמ"ל. [Many other Gedolei Torah were great admirers of the Rebbe.]
There are plenty of places where they still write שליט"א after his name. I question ANYTHING people do if they believe that a man who died is really still alive. At his funeral there were people screaming "Rebbe, shtay oif" - GET UP!!
That all being said, there are countless stories from reliable people still alive that testify to the fact that the Rebbe had Ruach Hakodesh - many of them not Chabadnikim. There is no doubt about the Rebbe's supernatural powers. He didn't take a day of vacation in the 51 years he served Klal Yisrael. He barely slept, constantly fasted, spent countless hours davening for people, answered thousands upon thousands of letters, said enough Torah to fill hundreds of sefarim, was intimately involved in the personal lives of thousands, was extremely active in helping Russian Jewry, the top echelon of Israeli politicians would come for brachos and guidance and the list goes on and on and on. An incredible man whose accomplishments are unparalleled. And his Chasidim continue on and the movement [despite predictions of doom and gloom] has gotten even stronger. People who never met the Rebbe live in the most remote places as his shluchim and bring the light of Yiddishkeit to so many who would otherwise be in complete darkness. I never cease to be amazed by the great work Chabad does all over the globe.
And what about the women? They raise large Chasidic families in nowhere land, with no schools, no social network, barely any kosher food, the nearest mikvah only a five hour drive or maybe 4 hour plane ride away etc. etc. etc. Just mind boggling.
And what about the women? They raise large Chasidic families in nowhere land, with no schools, no social network, barely any kosher food, the nearest mikvah only a five hour drive or maybe 4 hour plane ride away etc. etc. etc. Just mind boggling.
So the good is in many ways beyond anything that any other group does and sacrifices but that doesn't negate the problems that Dr. Berger pointed out in the interview and his book [which I read years ago].
And as far as that show/podcast is concerned - a general comment. They deal with some very heavy, hot button topics. The format of interviewing people makes it interesting and easily digestible. But I rarely listen because I find myself getting upset when I do.... A fifteen minute interview does a disservice to many of the topics discussed. The proper way is to open the sefarim and learn and analyze the sources properly. The "radio show" format often leads to superficiality and sometimes a little bit of superficial knowledge is worse than no knowledge at all because people think that they understand the issues when they really don't. On the other hand - it is better to listen to that than, say, WFAN. But better than both is to go to Kol Halashon or Yutorah or Beineinu or Torahanytime and hear a real shiur or learn from the sefarim yourself.
WE WANT MOSHIACH NOW!!!
